The Avengers Meet the Guardians of the Galaxy
by YellowRocksMySocks
Summary: Beth has just turned 18, and life couldn't be greater. After buying a mysterious locket from a flea market with her birthday cash, some crime-fighters from across the galaxy pay her and the Avengers a visit. Beth discovers that her locket will determine the fate of the universe if it finds its way into an alien warlord's clutches. Will Beth be able to save the world as we know it?
1. Happy Birthday

**HELLO! So sorry for the long break between stories, I've been getting lots of writing done ahead of time on this new one so I can update faster! This is a story that includes the Guardians of the Galaxy! I loved the movie so much and I thought that a big mega-crossover would be really fun to write! **

**This first part doesn't include them yet-sorry!- I just want to keep y'all on the edge of your seats! Please read and review! Love y'all!**

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><p>Screams and Explosions rocked the city and my eardrums alike; so loud I couldn't find my own thoughts in the cacophony of noise. I was helpless. On the ground, with rubble on top of my legs. I was pretty sure one of them was broken. Another explosion boomed right next to me. I screamed and covered my ears, only to remove my hands covered in blood with a piercing ringing resonating through my skull.<p>

Of all of my near death experiences, this was the first time I knew I wouldn't survive. Even though I had technically died once, this was completely different. They were with me until the very end last time, when I passed on. Now, I was trapped under concrete, surrounded by fire, and my family was nowhere in sight. Not that I could see very well with all the black clouds of smoke. How everything had come to this, how all of my experiences had led me here to die a lonely and painful death. It was crushing. It was cruel._ I don't deserve to die so soon. I just turned eighteen for crying out loud. _

My last year and a half had definitely been the best of my life though. Tears streamed down my face, running through the ash and dust that coated my skin.

I couldn't bear to think of them now. _Not like this. _I couldn't stop the memories from flooding my brain, however. Their faces. Their laughter. Their love. I began to sob as another explosion rocked the ground beneath me. My heart ached far more than my body. I covered my face with my bloodied hands and wailed animalistic howls from the depths of my soul. Sounds dramatic, but I think I earned it.

It had been a mistake to assume I would live with the Avengers forever. I had envisioned them at my graduation from high school and college, my wedding, the birth of my children. I childishly believed that we would always be roommates, that my growing up wouldn't get in the way of our family. They would always be there to save the world, and I would always be there to tag along and make them breakfast the next day. They were a part of me, of my very being.

I already had the rug pulled out from under me twice, but this one felt like a knife in the heart. I shouldn't have been so naive, but this time hurt more for some reason. Maybe it was because I _wasn't _just tagging along this time. I wasn't just helping the paramedics and evacuating the citizens. I was saving the world too. I had become a superhero in my own right, and was fighting along with the best of them. I snapped my fingers, but sparks didn't come alive in my hands. Tendrils of electricity didn't dance along my fingers. I was undeniably spent; my abilities had left me when I needed them most.

I turned my head slightly to see a giant ball of fire and rubble heading right for me. _At least I'll go out with a bang, pun intended._ A final tear slid down my cheek. _This is it. _I closed my eyes, and stoically awaited for my demise.

"Goodbye."

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><p>"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOUUUUUUU!" they finished, and I closed my eyes.<p>

"Make a wish!" Steve said.

"You should wish for a Lamborghini. Or a private jet!" Clint suggested and promptly received a smack on the back of the head, courtesy of the Black Widow.

"It's _her_ birthday..." she said.

I was squeezing my eyes as tight as they would go. This was a very important birthday. It's not everyday you turn eighteen years old. _I wish...I wish..._

_I wish to stay here forever. I wish for my life to always be like this. _

I blew out the candles-all in one go, I might add. There was applause and hugs as Pepper cut into my giant yellow-frosted strawberry cake.

I laughed as Tony and Thor fought over the last corner piece. I flicked some frosting at Bruce. It landed on his glasses. He slowly turned to me and then wiped a giant glob on my forehead. We were stopped before we could go any further by Steve.

"Why do ya always gotta be the adult around here?" I whined, and stabbed my cake with my fork.

"Somebody's gotta do it. Besides, a captain has to keep his soldiers in line..." Steve replied, a smirk on his face.

"You're not the boss of me!" Tony exclaimed and catapulted a chunk of cake at Steve's head. It landed in his hair. Clint and Thor cheered. Tony began to reload.

With reflexes I didn't know I had, I ran over and popped his cake chunk into my mouth. Tony stared at me with wide, scared eyes. Natasha cracked up. "Look. We aren't using my birthday cake as ammo. It tastes too heavenly. Besides, we have confetti eggs. Deal?" I asked.

"Fine." Tony grumbled, but with laughter in his eyes.

I sat down again at the other end of the table and resumed eating my cake.

"What did you wish for, Beth?" Thor asked.

"If I tell you, it might not come true, and I can't risk that. Sorry, dude." I replied with a shake of my head.

"Midgardians have such strange birthday customs..." Thor mused. "I shall never tire of learning of your culture." he replied.

"How do Asgardians celebrate birthdays?" Natasha asked.

Thor set down his fork and furrowed his brows in thought. "Well. For the royal family, a large feast and dance would be held in the palace, and the whole kingdom would attend. For common folk, it is customary to hold smaller celebration in the home and invite loved ones. Very similar to your traditions, I suppose." he explained. "May I have more cake? It is quite delicious." he asked and held his plate out.

I chuckled. "Of course big guy." I served him another slice and we chatted over cake and lemonade for another hour.

_I wouldn't wish it any other way._


	2. Break-Ins

**Here is the second chapter! You finally get to meet the Guardians! Please review! :)**

Nova Prime entered her pin, performed the retinal scan, and spoke her voice ID, and then strode into the vault that housed the Orb. She saluted her guardsmen and stood at attention.

"I must take the Orb to our scientists for further testing. They trusted only me with its transportation. Remain here until I return it." She commanded.

The guardsmen nodded. Nova Prime then removed the Orb from the safe and left without another word.

...

Nova Prime was busy reviewing the applications for recruits in her office. As leader of the Nova Core on Xandar, it was her job to choose the new soldiers that would serve under her command. A knock at her door tore her from reading.

"Come in." she stated, and continued sifting through the holograms. "Ah, Corpsmen Dey. What can I do for you?"

He rubbed his hands together nervously. "There was chatter among the guardsmen, who were curious as to why you transported the Orb to the scientists without usual documented clearance. They weren't sure how to record the transaction in their archives...I figured I could just ask you when you removed it for the records." Dey stated.

Nova Prime froze. "I didn't." She replied, an acrid lump of fear rising in her throat.

...

Lady Sif was enjoying the Asgardian night sky on her balcony. She loved to survey the stars and constellations that dotted the heavens. Fandral came and joined her, leaning against the wall.

"It is beautiful." He commented.

Lady Sif nodded. "Yes, it is very beautiful. Life has been quite calm for us as of late, hasn't it?"

Fandral chuckled. "I agree. I have not plunged my sword through an adversary in a long while. Perhaps we travel to a distant land and see what comes to greet us?" He suggest with a raise of his eyebrow.

Lady Sif laughed. "Always looking for trouble, aren't we?"

Hogun joined his comrades on the balcony with a confused look on his face. "Lady Sif? I wish to know why you removed the Cosmic Cube from Odin's vault?"

She immediately unsheathed her sword. "I did no such thing." She answered, eyes intense. "Hurry! The Nine Realms are at stake!" She shouted, and ran towards the vault with Fandral and Hogun in tow.

...

The sound of breaking glass woke The Collector. He shot up from his bed and ran into his hall. He fearfully looked around his vast collection of intergalactic artifacts.

He found Cosmo the dog pacing and wagging his tail in the display. "Why didn't you bark?!" he screamed. Cosmo simply whined and looked confused, frantically looking between the broken window and the Collector.

Frantically searching his relics for damage, he turned and noticed one was missing.

"Oh no..." He murmured. "Not the Aether..."

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><p>"I hate meetings..." Rocket complained, and tugged at his fur.<p>

"I doubt that you've ever been to one in your entire life!" Gamora shot back while irritably tapping her foot.

You could say that the group was a little on edge. They had received a demand from the Nova Corps to immediately report to headquarters, and they weren't too happy about it. They had been enjoying their time simply flying around in space. Now, they were stuck sitting in a foyer.

"Greetings, Guardians." Nova Prime said and as strode up to the group. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. Please come with me. There is much to speak about." she turned and briskly walked away.

"She seems troubled." Drax commented as they stood and followed her.

"I am Groot." he said, and nervously cracked his shoulders.

"I agree. It must be something big. Which, isn't good." Rocket replied.

...

"THANOS HAS FIVE INFINITY STONES?!" The Guardians shouted. Except for Groot of course. They were standing in a line in front of Nova Prime's desk.

She put her hand up, anger and frustration barely contained. "Somehow, the Tesseract, Aether, and Power Stone were all stolen from their safeguards and we hadn't known the whereabouts of the other two until we heard that Thanos had found them! Whomever stole them was able to bypass our security, Asgard's, and The Collector's."

"How is that even possible?" Drax asked.

"The thieves were able to shapeshift. Into perfect copies of myself, Lady Sif of Asgard, and The Collector. Even genetically- our Vault accepted all my scans, so we know this isn't simple shape shifting." She explained.

"Well, who do we know can do that?" Peter asked.

"The Skrulls." Nova Prime stated.

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><p>"Hey Rocket? Are we any closer to finding the stone?" Peter asked, while rewinding the Awesome Mix 1. It was only the seventh time he had asked in the last half hour, which was actually quite an improvement.<p>

"I told you I'm working on it!" Rocket replied, his whiskers twitching angrily. He continued adjusting the tracker that was sweeping the galaxy for any signs of the yellow stone. "We're talking 'bout searching the entire Milky Way..."

"It will be alright, Quill. Like you say, go with the flow?" Drax said, trying his hand at metaphors again. He had been practicing, but the figurative words still felt foreign in his mouth and came out sounding more like a question than a statement. But hey, he didn't ask about the "flow's destination" or why he had to follow it.

Peter chuckled. "Yeah, go with the flow." He pressed play and _Hooked On a Feeling _began filling the main area of the ship.

"Groot? Will you please pass me the screwdriver?" Gamora asked. She was busy making adjustments to her weapons next to Drax, who was sharpening his knives.

Groot passed her the screwdriver with a smile. "Thank you." She said, smiling slightly back at him.

"I am Groot..." He replied and beamed. After a moment, he began pruning some stray leaves off of his shoulders by eating them. Drax smiled a bit at his strange friend. The Guardians certainly had grown closer in the year of their exploration and defense of the galaxy.

Suddenly, Rocket's holograms began flashing and an alarm was heard throughout the Milano. Everyone looked at Rocket expectantly.

"Looks like we found it!" Rocket exclaimed, then frowned. "Crap. Uh, you're probably not gonna like this, Quill..." Rocket added.


	3. Flea Market

**Here's the third chapter!**

I thoughtfully munched on my rainbow snow cone as I peered into different store windows. Fury had given me a thousand dollars as a birthday present (who the heck does that?) and so I went shopping the Friday afternoon after my birthday. I wasn't really interested in what the shops had to offer. Mostly high-end boutiques whose clothes were too fancy and too expensive for my style.

As I approached the north side of Central Park, I stumbled upon a flea market. There were booths after booths after booths with everything from a-to-z. I wandered the stalls for a while until I found one with giant bins of necklaces and bracelets.

I dug through the barrels of jewelry when suddenly I felt drawn to this particular spot inside, like something was calling toward my hand. Almost against my own accord, I shoved my hand further and further down the barrel until I felt its wooden base, following the strange direction. My fingers felt a chain and I tugged until I brought the necklace to the surface.

It was a silver chain with a locket on the end. The locket was hexagonal and had beautiful swirl designs carved into it. Something rattled inside-I tried to pop the locket open but it wouldn't budge. Still, I felt the inexplicable need to purchase it.

"How much?" I asked the lady managing the stall. She was tall and thin and exotic looking, with really dark, almost purple eyes. A head scarf contained her hair and she wore a similar one around her neck.

"One-hundred and fifty, sweet cheeks." she replied, her voice having a strange quality that I couldn't put my finger on. It didn't sound like any accent I had heard of before.

I smiled. "Awesome!" I gave her the bills. "Thanks!" I said, and turned away.

"Of course." she purred, restacking the money.

I immediately strung the necklace around my neck. A strange sensation came over me, kinda tingly and traveling from my neck to the ends of my fingers, toes, and scalp. _Eh, probably just a shiver. It _is_ kinda nippy out. _I exited the flea market and decided to stroll through Central Park on my way home. I made my way under the cover of trees. They provided a slight shade and the beams of light shining through the leaves were beautiful. I twiddled the locket in my fingers. Whatever was inside continued to bounce around, creating a melodic twinkling. I was so hypnotized by it that I almost didn't hear the eerie snapping of twigs behind me.

I quickly turned around. Nobody was on the path. "I know you're out there! I have pepper spray!" I shouted, and held out my canister. I waited a moment before turning back around and walking briskly away. After a bit the snapping began again. _Oh Lord. _I was about to whip around and begin chaotically spraying my mace, but only a raccoon was there to greet me.

It blinked innocently at me and scratched its ear with it paw. I laughed. "Oh, it's just you. You're a cute little guy, but I gotta get going."

The raccoon rose onto its hind legs and stood.

"Who're you callin' cute, humie?" it growled and crossed it arms.

"HOLY CRAP!" I screamed and ran away. _The guy must have laced my snow cone with something..._

"Hey! Come back!" the rodent shouted. I looked back and saw it running after me.

I shrieked and ran faster, only to slam into a tree. A tree with arms, legs, and a face. That was smiling at me. My mind snapped in two. I froze and just gaped at the massive plant-man.

"I am Groot." it grumbled indignantly, and began reaching for my neck.

"Just give us the necklace and nobody gets hurt!" the raccoon said, standing on my other side. There was nowhere to run.

I screeched and covered my eyes, spraying the raccoon and then the tree creature in the face with the pepper spray.

"AAAHHHHHHH!" they both yelled and scratched at their eyes. "What the heck was that?!" The raccoon screamed. I made my escape.

"I am Groot!" The plant-man yelled in response. He began running after me, his giant legs catching up with mine in mere seconds. It grabbed the back of my shirt. I thrashed around and tried smacking his hands away to no avail.

"Put me down!" I shouted. "I bought this necklace fair and square!"

"Who cares, Blondie?" The raccoon said. "We need it - the fate of the galaxy depends on us!" He explained with a sarcastic sweep of his paws. _They must be aliens. My life is unreal._

I barked a laugh while still trying to break free of the tree-guy's grasp. "Yeah, right. I don't know who y'all are -frankly, _what_ y'all are- but I don't care. I've been around the block a time or two and I'm not afraid of some freak show aliens. Put. Me. Down." I commanded and set my glare onto the tree.

I could have sworn he looked almost hurt at my freak show comment. He mumbled "I am Groot." and set me down gently. Truthfully, I felt kinda bad about it.

I brushed myself off. "Thank you." I replied with a nod. "Goodbye." I said, and turned and walked away. They didn't follow me.


	4. Drug Test

**Sorry for the month between updates! I'm taking a college English class and it has required the most reading I've ever done in my life! Enjoy and review please! I LOVE hearing from y'all!**

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><p>"Hey Bruce?" I called into the lab. "Can you perform a drug test?"<p>

He and Tony looked up from their current experiment. "Why? Have you been tripping acid behind the mall?" Tony asked jokingly, but became serious once he saw my expression. I think it might have been a mix of nervousness and bewilderment.

"Nope." I answered. "But today when I was shopping and bought a snow cone, a talking raccoon and giant tree man chased me in the woods and tried to steal my new locket." I explained and pointed to my necklace.

"Uh, why don't we do some blood work...?" Bruce replied.

...

"There aren't any drugs in your system, Beth." Bruce said as he washed his hands. "Not a trace of anything...and you aren't dehydrated or suffering from heatstroke. So, I really don't know what could have caused your hallucinations."

I put my head in my hands. "Then I guess what happened really did happen...the raccoon said that he needed my locket because 'the galaxy was in trouble' or something...what could possibly be so important about it?" I asked.

Bruce and Tony glanced at each other and then a look of horror crossed their faces. "Is there something inside your locket?" Tony asked. "Like a tiny rock, perhaps?"

I furrowed my brows. "Uh, yeah. That's what the rattling sounds like. And when I put it on for the first time, a strange sensation came over me..."

"Hey Jarvis?" Bruce said to the AI. "Tell everyone to meet in the third floor conference room-now."

"Yes sir." Jarvis replied, and I was ushered out of the infirmary and to the elevator without an explanation.

...

Everybody was tense. I sat in a chair around the giant table, and was nervously twiddling the locket between my fingers. The longer I touched it, the calmer I became. But, I wasn't necessarily noticing since I was too busy trying to read everybody's lips as they huddled on the other side of the table.

"Alright. Why don't we all take a seat and discuss what's going on?" Bruce said and everyone sat down.

"We probably should have clued you in a while ago, Beth..." Tony said.

I frowned. "Wow, already off to a great start..." I said.

If Tony heard me he didn't show it. Clint smirked, however.

"We have reason to believe that your locket contains one of the six Infinity Stones. They are a collection of gems that hold the extreme power and magic of the cosmos. The Tesseract is one of them." He began explaining.

"Oh, the blue cube from the Battle of New York?" I asked.

"Yeah, along with the Aether, and four others we don't know much about. We're thinking that your locket contains the third, which means that you are wearing one of the greatest sources of energy and destruction in the universe around your neck."

I swallowed. "There's no way. I bought this at the flea market by Central Park in a barrel of jewelry." I said.

Thor sighed. "Beth, we are almost certain that the raccoon and large tree creature you saw today were aliens, not hallucinations."

"So, they're probably looking for you right now. Hunting you down, even." Steve said. "Until we know more about this situation, you have to stay in the tower and have one of us with you at all times. I know it's not ideal, but it's for your safety."

"Unfortunately, this means that we should also run tests on your locket to try and determine its properties." Bruce added. "We have no idea which stone it is or what it is capable of."

I unclasped the locket and handed it over to my uncle. As soon it came off my neck, I felt like my mind clouded slightly. I shook it off as disappointment.

I sighed. "Yeah, I know. But why does this stuff always have to happen to me?"

...

It had been a few days without any funny business regarding my locket-that's-apparently-a-weapon-of-mass-destruction, except for the literally _constant_ attention from my family members. Bruce, Clint, and Natasha were pretty chill, but Tony, Thor, and Steve were downright annoying. Like, ANNOYING. Tony just wouldn't shut up and Steve and Thor thought that they needed to assist me with every single thing. I'm surprised they didn't try to eat my food for me.

"Yes, Thor. I'm positive that I don't need help making a sandwich." I replied a little snarkily as I grabbed the meat and cheese out of the fridge. "All I did was buy a stupid locket..." I muttered.

Thor sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I know that you are frustrated, Beth." he said. "But, you must understand. An Infinity Stone is extremely dangerous. You have seen the destruction the Tesseract has caused. If you locket were to fall into the wrong hands, it would endanger the entire world."

I exhaled. "You're right. I'm sorry-I'm being kind of immature. But, I also think I can be trusted with basic activities such as showering and eating without constant surveillance...I'm not even wearing the necklace right now. It's down in the lab. Whatever aliens tried to steal it obviously moved on..." I finished constructing my lunch and proceeded to take a massive bite.

A moment passed before alarms sounded and Jarvis spoke over the intercom. "CODE RED. Unauthorized landing of spacecraft on the helipad. CODE RED."

I dropped my sandwich. "You've _got _to be kidding me..."

Thor called Mjolnir from the couch. "Let us meet our guests..." He said, a twinkle in his eye at the prospect of bashing something with his hammer.

...

I followed my brother up to the launchpad. As I stepped out onto the roof, I took a moment to let my eyes adjust to the sunlight. My family was standing battle-ready except for Bruce, who always tried to remain diplomatic unless it was absolutely necessary to let loose.

Next to a sleek blue and orange spaceship were five beings. The raccoon and tree man from earlier, along with a green woman with a death glare, a large blue man with interesting red markings and muscles bulging out of his muscles, and what looked like a regular dude.

"Um, hello. We don't mean you any harm. We're the Guardians of the Galaxy." The regular man said, kind of awkwardly sweeping his hand across his group. He looked the least threatening. "I'm Starlord. Or Peter Quill. But I prefer Starlord."

He stepped forward, his hands on his hips. "Anyway, we need that stone. You probably don't know, but it's a part of the-"

"Infinity Stones?" I interrupted. "We know about those. The Tesseract, Aether, and now my locket, among others we don't know much about." My arms were crossed. "Why couldn't your friends have asked nicely instead of ambushing me in Central Park?"

"Hey! You're the one who sprayed fire into my and Groot's eyes!" The raccoon shouted from atop the tree man's-apparently named Groot-shoulders. Groot nodded in agreement.

"It was just pepper spray! You were attacking me!" I shouted back, pointing at the two.

Tony put his metal-covered arm in front of me. "Let's settle down!" He commanded. "Obviously, there is some tension leftover from the altercation in Central Park, but let's try and be civil."

The raccoon scoffed. "Fine, but no more 'pepper spray' attacks from Blondie." He pointed back.

"Good with me." I said and glared at the stupid rodent.

Starlord sighed and the green woman pinched the bridge of her nose, which made me think that this type of argument featuring the raccoon happened often.

"As I was saying, we need that stone. The galaxy is in grave danger. An alien overlord named Thanos has the other five stones and is trying to take over the entire universe. If he gets his hands on that locket, it's pretty certain that everybody will die. He won't be able to be stopped."

"Well, we _are _the Avengers. We protect Earth. So, why don't we work together? I like the odds of twelve against one better than five." Steve suggested.

"Who is the twelfth? I only see five Guardians and six 'Avengers'..." The muscled blue man said.

I threw my hands up in exasperation. "Seriously?" I say. "A raccoon is a superhero but I'm not?!"

Groot wrapped his arms around the raccoon before he could claw me. "How dare you!" It shouted. Suddenly, both groups were screaming at each other and were milliseconds away from attack.

Thunder darkened the sky in seconds. "ENOUGH!" Thor shouted, and lightning cracked above our heads. Everyone was immediately silenced. "These petty arguments get us NOWHERE! If the galaxy is in danger, _both _my homes could fall in the crossfire. Let us go inside, get better acquainted, and form a plan without harming anyone."

...

It was pretty tense inside. Partly because of our new not-sure-if-they're-hostile guests, and partly because nobody was talking or making eye contact. AT ALL. Natasha seemed perfectly at ease, however, and was peacefully cleaning her gun at the table.

"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" I suddenly shouted, and grabbed my head in my hands. "OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION ON OUR HANDS AND SITTING AROUND NOT SPEAKING TO EACH OTHER DOESN'T GET US ANY FURTHER TO FINDING A SOLUTION!"

Everybody looked extremely bewildered. Frightened, even. I turned to Groot and the raccoon. "I'm sorry I sprayed you with pepper spray. I was just really scared when you attacked me and that's something earth people use to defend themselves."

Groot smiled. "I am Groot." I took that to mean he accepted my apology.

The raccoon looked uncomfortable. Groot elbowed him. "Uh, thank you for apologizing. We are sorry that we attacked you like that." The raccoon replied, looking extremely in pain.

"Be thankful. Rocket is not known for saying sorry." The green woman said.

"Now that that's out of the way, why don't we actually introduce ourselves?" Clint said. "I'm Hawkeye-world's best archer." The rest of my family proceeded to introduce themselves as well.

"I'm Gamora. Expert assassin." She said.

"I am Drax the Destroyer." The blue man said.

"I'm Rocket. Detonation and weapons expert." The raccoon said with a proud puff of his chest.

"I am Groot." The tree man repeated. I now assumed that those were the only words he knew. This time they actually made sense.

"You already know me. Starlord: Greatest outlaw in the galaxy." The man said. Gamora rolled her eyes. It reminded me of Natasha and Tony.

"And I'm Beth. I'm basically the Avengers' roommate and honorary team member. Now that introductions are out of the way, why don't we talk about my locket?" I suggested.

"Basically, out of the six Infinity Stones, Thanos has five. We also know that he has an army of shape shifting aliens known as the Skrulls at his command. Thanos was able to steal the stones so easily because the Skrulls would shape shift into people who had access to the stones, making it completely easy to just walk in and take them." Starlord explained.

"Each stone has its own properties that give the owner different abilities. When used together in a device known as the Infinity Gauntlet, the wearer is virtually impossible to defeat. They possess the power of the entire universe. We are 99% positive that Thanos has both the Gauntlet and the five other stones, making yours the last step until he takes over the universe." Gamora added.

My stomach dropped. "Oh." I squeaked. "I now understand why this is such a big deal..."

"Exactly. This is the biggest deal of any of our lives. So, we need to form a plan. One that won't end with Thanos destroying everything." Rocket said.

"Obviously, he's coming for the final stone. Its protection is the most important thing right now." Natasha said. "We can also assume that he will send a Skrull to steal it. So, we need to figure out a way to determine who the impostor is when they eventually come. Staying together constantly isn't possible."

Bruce was drumming his fingers on the table. "The Skrulls are able to completely copy a person, right down to their DNA. So, a biological sensor or something of that nature won't be effective."

Everybody nodded. An idea popped into my head. "Guys. I think we're overthinking this. The Skrulls don't possess people or destroy the original person; they're just a copy. We can have Jarvis constantly play security feeds on the living room television. If we see two of the same person, one of them is obviously the Skrull. We put both on lockdown and interrogate them. It'll be super simple to figure out who the real person is just by asking them personal questions. Easy as pie." I finished, proud of myself.

The rest of the group looked at me with a sort of awe. "I am Groot." he said with a nod.

"I agree." Drax said. "You are proving yourself to be quite the asset to this team. I am sorry that I doubted you before." he said.


	5. A Long Day

**Sooooo sorry for the long break! School is coming to a close next week and I have had TONS of college English to do, along with my normal workload. I will hopefully be able to update more often over Christmas vacation. Love y'all and here is a new chapter! Please keep the review coming because they are really sweet and helpful! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!**

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><p>We sat in silence for a while. Groot really wasn't the type of guy to initiate conversation. At first I thought that he still might be a little upset with me.<p>

I awkwardly cleared my throat. "Hey, Groot?" I asked. He looked at me. "I just wanted to say how sorry I am...again. I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I was kidnapped and tortured last year...and so I carry pepper spray now."

Groot eyes widened at my mention of the incident. He looked troubled for a moment before his face lit up, as if he suddenly had an idea. Groot held his hand out palm up. He concentrated for a second, and then a small flower began to grow until he picked it and gave it to me. It was light blue and smelled wonderfully. Groot smiled, and I knew I was forgiven.

"Have you been with the Guardians of the Galaxy for a while?" I asked, twirling the flower in my fingers. Groot nodded. "Who have you known the longest?" Groot held his hand a little off the floor, signaling shortness. "Rocket?" I clarified, and I realized that yes or no questions would be easiest with him. Groot nodded vigorously and smiled.

"He's quite a character..." I said with a smile. Groot chuckled, or what I can assume was a chuckle. It was a rough sound, kind of like wood scraping against itself. I assumed he was laughing from the slight shake of his wooden shoulders and his tiny smile.

I didn't talk again for a while. It was nice to sit in silence with somebody who didn't mind it. A thought popped into my head and I cleared my throat. "Are...are you scared? About Thanos and this whole the-fate-of-the-universe-is-in-our-hands thing?" Groot shrugged. I took that as he wasn't sure how to feel right now, since nothing was really happening. Groot patted my knee with his giant hand, as if to tell me not to worry.

I smiled and put the flower in my hair.

* * *

><p>We decided to give the Guardians a tour of the Tower since they would be staying with us. .Right now, we were on the elevator, heading toward the gym and lab.<p>

"And here, we have the gym. It is an entire floor dedicated to perfecting our battle skills, and just to stay in shape." Tony said with a flourish of his hand. We entered, and the Guardians gasped.

"This is amazing." Gamora commented. Peter just nodded, his mouth wide open.

"As you can see, we have a boxing ring, combat dummies, a gun/archery range, and your basic exercise equipment as well. There are plenty of treadmills and punching bags to go around."

"I like to come in here and practice with the weapons. It's a good stress reliever. The punching bag is also pretty effective." I said.

"Do any of you spar?" Natasha asked. "We all are trained in various types of boxing and self-defense. It would be a good idea to train together." she suggested.

"I spar every day for at least an hour." Gamora said proudly. Peter rolled his eyes.

"I also enjoy hand-to-hand combat." Drax agreed. Natasha smiled.

Bruce cleared his throat. "I think that Drax and Groot will especially enjoy this next area of the gym. Follow me." he said with a knowing smirk.

We went through side door into the Hulk-Buster floor, as Tony fondly named it. It was filled with all sorts of obstacles and giant objects meant for smashing. The walls were also ultra sound proof and could withstand immense amount of force. It was built for Bruce to let loose when he needed it.

"This is what we like to call the 'Hulk-Buster floor'. Meant for smashing and letting off steam." he explained.

"So, I am _supposed_ to try and destroy these things?" Drax asked, his face filled with awe.

Bruce chuckled. "Yep."

Immediately he ran with a gleeful shout (or as gleeful as the guy could get) and jumped on car, denting it quite dramatically. Groot smiled and shot one of his arms through a monster truck tire and threw it against the wall.

"Watch out. They'll want to spend all of their time in here." Peter joked.

* * *

><p>Pizza was ordered for dinner. We ordered cheese, pepperoni, Hawaiian, and supreme. Groot happily soaked up a giant bucket of water with some fertilizer we stirred in. Tendrils grew off of his hand and rested in the water.<p>

"You would not believe how hard it is to find a decent slice of pizza in space!" Peter remarked as he bit into some Hawaiian. "Even if it's something remotely related to pizza, it always has weird alien toppings on it. Eyeballs and stuff." he explained, and made a face.

"Blech." I replied.

Rocket was stuffing his face full of pepperoni. There was even a glob of cheese on his right ear "I've never had pizza before. This stuff's pretty great!" he exclaimed, and finished of his slice.

"Indeed. I am so far enjoying this Terran cuisine." Drax commented. He had already eaten a whole cheese pizza and was now working on a supreme.

"Is 'Terran' another name for 'Earth'? Like Midgard?" I asked.

"Yeah. There's all sorts of names for each planet. It just depends on where you're from." Peter answered with a shrug.

"How long have you been in space?" I asked him. "You lived on Earth for some time, right?"

Peter shifted uncomfortably in his seat. I could tell that what I had asked was really personal. "Uh, yeah. When I was eight, I was kidnapped by this group of alien bounty hunters called the Ravagers. That was 1988. This is actually the first time since then that I have been to Earth. A lot has changed." he said.

"Oh. Wow." I said. I wasn't really sure how to respond. "I'm sorry if what I asked was too private..."

"Oh no, don't feel bad!" He said with a wave of his pizza slice. "It's a perfectly normal question. Er, at least for me." Peter seemed pretty casual, but his eyes showed that there was more to the story that he wasn't sharing.

* * *

><p>"And, here is where you will be sleeping." I said and pointed to Drax's new room. I was walking the Guardians to each of their rooms to complete their tour of the Tower.<p>

"It has a full bathroom, too. Shower and everything..." I added. Drax walked slowly inside as he studied his new surroundings.

"These are acceptable living arrangements." Drax said and nodded.

I laughed. "Good. Oh, and before I forget. The Tower is equipped with an artificial intelligence named Jarvis. Jarvis is an assistant who can help you with anything. He is always on; you just have to ask for him. Hey Jarvis?" I asked, and looked at the ceiling.

"Yes, Miss Beth. I am so glad that you finally introduced me to our guests." Jarvis said.

Rocket, and Groot jumped. Jarvis chuckled. "It is nice to meet you. Like Miss Beth said, I am at your service. Please do not hesitate to ask."

"Can you really help us with _anything_?" Drax crossed his arms in the doorway, suspicious of the extent of Jarvis's powers.

"He's a literal kind of guy, Jarvis." Rocket explained, staring at the ceiling.

"Ah, I see." Jarvis replied. "Technically speaking, I cannot help you with virtually anything, but rather a multitude of services."

"That is good to know." Drax said ominously, and shut his door. I made a face, and Rocket chuckled.

We walked a few more steps to the next door. "Rocket, this room is for you." I said, and he excitedly scurried inside, and slammed the door. Shouts of glee could be heard on the other side.

Groot's face morphed into a dejected expression and his tree shoulders slumped.

Rocket opened his door almost as quickly as he had closed it. "You comin' Groot?" He asked, and ran back inside to jump on the bed.

"A guy could definitely get used to this!" he exclaimed as he flopped down onto the sheets.

Groot's face lit up and he ducked under the doorway. The giant tree man joined Rocket, who was jumping on the bed. The floor creaked dangerously, but the level below was the Hulk-buster room so I wasn't really worried.

"I guess we're moving along." I turned to see a huge grin on both Gamora and Peter's faces.

"What has y'all so happy?" I asked as we moved on to what would be Peter's room.

"I finally have a bathroom to myself!" They both shouted in unison, and then glared at each other for doing so.

...

I finished the tour and then ventured into the kitchen to find Thor and Tony drinking a beer on the couch. I grabbed a soda from the fridge and flopped on the adjacent couch.

They chuckled. "Long day?" Tony asked, and took another sip.

I nodded and smiled a bit. "Weird day. The 'Guardians of the Galaxy' seem like good people, though. Er, aliens. Well, I guess Peter is a human. Anyway, they're pretty cool."

"I agree. They shall make most formidable allies." Thor commented.

I drank some root beer. "It's hard to believe that this is really my life sometimes, ya know? That _I _found a stone that holds the fate of the universe. That an alien warlord is eventually coming to destroy everything we've ever known. Other teenagers just have to worry about their upcoming physics test..." I shook my head in disbelief.

Tony laughed. "I think the same thing every day. But, then I remember that other adults just sit behind a desk all day long. Being a superhero is a great privilege. Sure, it sucks a lot of times, but at the end of the day, we save lives. That's the coolest life ever."

"Thanks. I really needed to hear that. Can we make breakfast for them tomorrow?" I asked.

"They need to know what bacon tastes like..."

Thor and Tony laughed and we clinked our drinks together.


End file.
